Gurla Mandhata (Naimona’nyi), 1987. The Sino-Japanese Joint Friendship Expedition had as its chief leader (A. A.C. honorary member) Shi Zhan Chun, as deputy leaders Chinese Liu Dayi and Japanese Atsuo Saito and as climbing leader Japanese Katsutoshi Hirabayashi. After leaving Kashi on April 13 and 14, 1987, we gathered at Base Camp at 4700 meters at Sekang on the northwest side of Gurla Mandhata (Naimona’nyi) on April 25. Advance Base was established on May 2 at the tongue of the Zalongmalongba Glacier. We ascended the lateral moraine and established Camp I on May 7. Camps II and III were placed on the glacier at 6720 and 7260 meters on May 11 and 16. We decided to put Camp IV on the large plateau at the top of the glacier and reconnoitered the route to the summit on May 19. After that, snow fell for three days. On May 25, the weather improved and we established Camp IV at 7420 meters. On May 26, 1987, Chinese Jing Junxi, Jiabu, Song Zhiyi and Ciren Dorje and Japanese Yoshiharu Suita, Kozo Matsubayashi, Toyoji Wada, and Keiichiro Suita climbed to the ridge up the largest gully closest to the summit and reached the top (7694 meters, 25,243 feet) at 11:45 A.M. The next day, Chinese Yang Jinhui, Qimi, Chen Jianjun, Liu Chusheng and Bao Doqing stood on the summit, too. One Japanese member had collapsed from pulmonary edema at Camp IV and so the other members worked hard to rescue him, giving up the opportunity to get to the summit. On June 1, all members were back in Base Camp and well.

Tsunahide Shidei, Academic Alpine Club of Kyoto, Japan